Understanding the Basics of Colorado Radon Testing
Radon gas is a natural occurring radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. It’s odorless, colorless, and tasteless, but long-term exposure to unsafe levels of radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Having your Colorado home tested for radon levels is important to help reduce your risk and protect your family’s health. In this post, we’ll cover the basics of radon and Colorado Radon Testing to help you make informed decisions.
What is Radon?
Radon is a radioactive gas formed from the natural radioactive decay of uranium. As uranium breaks down underground, it releases radon gas which seeps up through the soil and finds its way into our homes, schools, and workplaces through cracks and openings in concrete foundations.
When radon is breathed in, the radioactive particles can be damaging to lung tissue by releasing small bursts of damaging radiation once inside the lung. Long term exposure to elevated radon levels increases a person’s risk of developing lung cancer. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
Where is Radon Found?
Radon can be found all over the United States, but certain areas of the country have higher levels than others. Factors like soil composition, weather patterns, and geology impact areas that have more radon. States and areas that contain rocks like shale, granites, phosphates, and pitchblende uranium ores often have higher levels.
Colorado tends to have higher levels of radon because it contains these types of rocks and soils known to produce radon. In fact, seven Colorado counties are designated as Zone 1 radon areas, meaning they have a predicted average indoor radon level greater than 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L). This is concerning since 4 pCi/L is the EPA’s recommended action level for radon.
Health Risks of Radon Exposure
Radon poses a health risk when it accumulates in buildings and is inhaled into the lungs. As radon decays, it releases radiation that damages lung tissue and can eventually cause lung cancer.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer death in the United States. It’s estimated that radon contributes to over 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. For both smokers and non-smokers, radon is the number one cause of lung cancer for non-smokers.
People who smoke and are exposed to elevated levels of radon have a much higher risk of developing lung cancer than non-smokers exposed to the same levels. Quitting smoking and lowering elevated radon levels both greatly reduce your chances of getting lung cancer.
How Radon Enters Homes
Radon gas moves through tiny spaces in the soil and rock underground and seeps up into our homes and buildings. It can enter through dirt floors, cracks in concrete walls and floors, floor drains, sumps, construction joints, around pipes and wires, and through tiny cracks or pores in hollow-block walls.
Some common entry points of radon:
- Gaps in foundations and concrete slabs
- Spaces behind brick veneer walls
- Gaps around service pipes, wires, drains, and sumps
- Crawl spaces under buildings
- Well water that releases radon into the indoor air
As pressure inside buildings is usually lower than pressure underground, it creates a vacuum effect that constantly sucks radon gas from the soil into the home. Radon may also dissolve into well water and be released into the air when water is used showering and washing.
Testing Homes for Radon
The only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon exposure is to test the levels in your home.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends all Colorado homes get tested for radon. Testing is easy and affordable. You simply place small monitoring devices in the lowest home level where people spend time. After 91 days to a year depending on device type, you mail in the detector to a lab for analysis and receive your radon results.
The EPA and the World Health Organization recommend radon levels in homes should be below 2.7 pCi/L. The EPA also has a radon action level of 4 pCi/L. When radon levels are confirmed at or above 4 pCi/L, steps should be taken to reduce concentrations.
Colorado Radon Testing options:
Short-term radon test kits – Inexpensive detectors left in place between 2 to 90 days depending on type. Best for quick screening to identify if additional long-term monitoring is necessary.
Long-term radon detectors – Left in place for 91 days to a year. Provides average radon level during occupied conditions for precise results on actual homeowner exposure. Best option for making informed decisions on mitigation.
Continuous radon monitors – Electronic testing devices that take constant radon measurements and can provide info on how radon concentrations change during occupied vs unoccupied times. Help determine mitigation approach. More expensive option.
When Should Colorado Homes Be Tested?
The EPA and Colorado health officials recommend testing all residential and school buildings for radon. Testing when buying or selling a home is smart to identify exposure risks that may impact you or lower home value. Other good times to test your Colorado home include:
- After moving into your home if levels have never been checked
- After home renovations to lower levels, installing new HVAC, major cracks repaired
- Every 5 years to identify any changes in radon concentrations
- In lower levels of homes, like basements or crawlspaces
Testing in the coolest months provides the most accurate average radon level for making informed mitigation decisions. Colder months mean windows and doors stay closed more, allowing possible radon accumulation.
Professional Radon Measurement Services
While do-it-yourself radon test kits are affordable and easy, for the most precise results many homeowners turn to trained professionals certified in radon testing protocols. Professional radon testers use commercial lab equipment and follow stringent EPA testing guidelines. Their detailed reports carry certifications on following proper measurement conditions and protocols.
Colorado Radon Testing services that professional home inspectors and other certified technicians provide often include:
- Testing multiple rooms on multiple levels for whole-home analysis
- Identifying radon entry points
- Continual radon monitoring under closed conditions
- Detailed testing reports from accredited radon measurement labs
Professional testing services ensure proper procedures are followed and the most accurate radon measurements are obtained to make informed decisions on protecting your family.
Radon Mitigation Solutions
When radon levels exceed 4 pCi/L or are approaching that level, radon mitigation is recommended. Radon remediation performed by certified radon mitigation contractors can effectively lower concentrations.
Common radon reduction techniques used in Colorado homes:
Sub-slab depressurization (SSD)
Most popular. PVC piping installed below basement slab foundation with fan venting gas outside. Creates vacuum suction under home pulling radon away. Up to 99% reduction.
Submembrane depressurization
Perforated piping under vapor barrier with inline fan and vent pipe removes radon from underground before entering home.
Block wall suction
Used on hollow block foundation walls. Piping and fan draws gas from inside blocks venting it outdoors.
Drain tile suction
Radon suction point installed in perimeter drain tile loop to vacuum gas before entering.
Natural ventilation
Increasing underfloor ventilation without fans. Adds intake and exhaust vents allowing natural air flow. Lower reduction rate around 50%.
A certified radon mitigation pro can assess your home and recommend the right system to effectively reduce radon. Average costs range from $800 to $2500 depending on home size and mitigation approach.
Take Action on Radon Testing
Radon gas exposure contributes to thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths each year. Protect yourself and your loved ones by testing radon levels in your Colorado home. Testing is quick, easy, and affordable. Based on results, you can make informed decisions on radon mitigation if unsafe levels are detected.
Contact a radon measurement professional or pick up an easy home test kit today. Don’t wait to reduce your lung cancer risk from this naturally occurring radioactive gas. Take charge of your family’s health and test your home’s radon levels.
